FAQs

The most accurate sites you can use to search for homes are the Multiple Listing Service sites for the particular counties you are looking in. For Union, Morris, Essex Counties the Garden State MLS or GSMLS is the one that is primarily used. A public search feature can be found here: https://www2.gsmls.com/publicsite/propsearch.do?method=getcountysearch

Realtor.com is also fairly accurate. Zillow and Trulia aren’t updated as frequently and often have listings listed as available that have already sold.

If you ever have questions about whether a house is available, just reach out to Hannah and she will find out.

Zillow uses what a computer program deems comparable sales in the area to come to a “Zestimate” or estimate of your homes value. The problem is that no one from Zillow has ever been in your house, or the houses it’s using to come up with an estimated value, so it can’t replace the job of a realtor in determining the value of your home. Sometimes the Zestimate is very high, sometimes it’s much lower than market value. Bottom line, it’s much better to call Hannah if you want an accurate idea of your home’s value in today’s market. A computer program cannot do the job of a realtor, there are so many factors to take into account when pricing a home.

This is a question I get a lot with first time home buyers. The answer is absolutely not, unless you have an established agreement with that agent, usually if you are purchasing a “For Sale By Owner” home or some other uncommon situation. Otherwise, Hannah or any other ethical agent will never charge you a commission to purchase a home, the seller pays the commission to the realtors. If you are looking to rent an apartment, many times the tenant will be charged a broker fee, but not when you are purchasing a home.

Getting a pre-approval is the only way to truly find out your spending power when purchasing a home. It takes into account important factors such as your debt to income ratio, credit score, assets, and income. In the exceedingly competitive market we are in, you often have hours to decide if you want to make an offer on a home, and seeing homes before you have taken the step to get a pre-approval can result in delays since you need a pre-approval to submit an offer.

Only an attorney can protect your legal interests in a transaction. While Hannah is very knowledgeable about all aspects of real estate transactions, she is not an attorney and cannot give you legal advice. The only way to protect your interests to the fullest extent is to hire an attorney to make sure that likely one of the most significant financial purchases is fully protected.

The short answer is it’s the best $500-$700 you’ll ever spend. There are a lot components that make up a house: the foundation, the roof, the electric system, plumbing, heating cooling, I could go on. You want to make sure that you fully understand what works, what needs work, and what doesn’t work when you are purchasing a home, and a home inspection is the only way to get a better idea of that. Of course, the home inspector isn’t going to open up walls, and sometimes there are unforeseen issues, but a good home inspector will catch many issues that may cost you money later down the road. They are also very informative about home maintenance, and when you can expect and budget to replace your utilities, roof, etc.

I strive to provide my clients with prompt, effective communication. I will return correspondence promptly and try to be as accessible as I can. That being said, I work with a lot of clients and try not to take phone calls when I am with another client out of courtesy. My phone is on do not disturb from 10 PM until 8 AM, but other than that, you can nearly always reach me or I will return your calls, texts, and emails as soon as I possibly can. I do work 7 days a week though, please don’t feel bad about asking me to see houses on a weekend, that’s my job and I love what I do!